• Understand the unique ecological, economic, and social benefits that a region’s natural resources provide enables more effective conservation and sustainable development planning

• By focusing on regional scales, we can identify:
  1. specific ecosystem services
  2. economic dependencies
  3. cultural values that are tied to local nature

• Leads to more tailored and impactful strategies

• Rich in biodiversity with many endemic species
  • endemic species =

• Long cultural history of land connection, especially Indigenous and settler traditions

• Economically tied to natural resources—forests, streams, wildlife
  • are coal/timber industries a ‘resource curse’?

• Scientific Value: Factors that lead to gain or loss of species

• Value to Human Health: We rely on natural systems for our persistance

• Economic Value: Biodiversity has infinite commercial value

• Cultural Value: Natural world anchors human culture

• Ethical Value: Moral role in conservation and stewardship

• Intrinsic Value: Value of life

National Ecological Observatory Network (NSF NEON) provides high-quality, open and free data to enable research on the impacts of climate and land-use change, water availability and invasive species on the nation’s living ecosystems

• Medicinal plants (e.g., black cohosh, ginseng) have long been used for healing
  • Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (1994) creating a regulatory framework for herbal medicines under the Food and Drug Administration
  • folk ‘herbalism’, however, is not being passed on effectively

• Appalachian streams serve as drinking water sources for millions
  • A recent meta analysis of >3,000 Appalachain studies over 20 years could not reach clear conclusions about the state of water quality, or its impacts on health, in any of Appalachia’s subregions

• Forests help filter air and mitigate respiratory issues in rural communities
  • Clean Air Act (Federal, 1970), Smokestacks Act (State, 2002)

Ginseng grows in Appalachia and a region of China called Manchuria. Ginseng in thought to aid in immunity, blood sugar regulation , stress, cardiovascular health…

• Is it overharvesting?

• OR is it…
  • logging
  • surface mining
  • climate change
  • deer overpopultions
  • climate change
  • housing developement

• Stewardship rooted in faith and folklore (e.g., “God’s creation” ethics)

• Rise of community land trusts and conservation easements

• Balancing extraction history (e.g., coal) with ecological healing

• Medical Research: Salamanders possess regenerative abilities (e.g., limb regeneration), which are being studied for advances in human medicine and tissue regeneration
  • bioprospecting

• Ecosystem Services: By consuming vast numbers of insects, salamanders help regulate pest populations in forest ecosystems, reducing the need for chemical pest control

• Ecotourism and Education: The biodiversity of salamanders, attracts ecotourists, naturalists, and researchers, supporting local economies through nature-based tourism and education programs

• Scientific Funding: Research on Appalachian salamanders attracts grants and investment in regional universities and conservation organizations

• Moral Obligation: Salamanders have a right to exist, independent of their utility to humans
  • They play crucial roles in forest food webs, contributing to the natural balance of their habitats

• Conservation Goal: Conserve 30% of U.S. lands and waters by 2030 — includes Appalachia

• Habitat Protection: Targets hotspots such as Red River Gorge (KY) and Cherokee National Forest (TN), home to rare salamanders and bats

• Community Partnerships: Includes Coalfield Development (WV) and Highlands Biological Foundation (NC) for local stewardship and green jobs

• Climate Resilience: Promoted by Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy and U.S. Forest Service to protect forests and watersheds

NOW: Executive order policy reversals by the new president have rescinded various environmental and climate-focused executive orders and issued new ones to focus on domestic energy production (e.g., coal) over conservation

• Which value resonates most with you personally?

• Make a persuasive argument for which value aspect of biodiversity is the most important?

• Prepare a ‘legal brief’ to present to a small group
  • summarize your argument into a few key points
  • provide real tangible evidence
  • submit your brief on Brightspace (can be rough)

• Feel free to argue the path less traveled

• Your small group will need to come to a decision based on everyone’s briefs